The St. Louis Blues' largely disappointing season thus far has triggered plenty of speculation regarding a chance of voice behind the bench. While Jim Montgomery can’t be blamed solely for the Blues’ rough season, the bulk of the blame has fallen on his shoulders.
While fans and media may be pinning the blame on Montgomery, oddsmakers don’t seem to think such calls hold water. According to a December 4 piece on Bookies.com, Montgomery doesn’t seem likely to get the ax this season.
The piece looked at the leading coaching candidates to get the heave-ho this season. The odds show Montgomery has +1800 odds of getting the pink slip, which translates to a 5.3% chance. As such, it doesn’t seem like Montgomery really is on the hot seat.
The NHL coaching vet joined the Blues last season after Drew Bannister’s dismissal. He led a remarkable turnaround that culminated with a playoff appearance. The plucky Blues pushed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets to the brink in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
However, this season hasn’t gone quite as expected. Still, Montgomery hardly leads the odds for potential coaching dismissals. Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette leads the way, getting +110 odds of firing. Per oddsmakers, Brunette has a 47.6% chance of getting canned.
A coaching change won’t change Blues’ fate this season
Removing Montgomery from behind the bench won’t spark the turnaround fans would hope. That move worked last season, but it won’t likely have the same effect this season.
The rationale behind that assertion lies in assigning players with their fair share of the blame. When teams underperform, there’s a chunk of the blame that must go to the coaching staff. These could be poor decisions, structural issues, or plainly losing the room.
Then, there is the share that should go to the players. Players must be held accountable for their performance on the ice. This season, we’ve seen Blues’ players show inconsistent efforts. Thursday night’s loss to the Boston Bruins was a disappointing effort. The Blues really weren’t in the game, failing to overcome the Bruins’ attack.
The biggest culprit, at least as far as the numbers are concerned, is the Blues’ goaltending. Even when the Blues’ have strung together solid efforts, the goaltending has let them down. Jordan Binnington hasn’t been up to his usual efforts, while Joel Hofer hasn’t been the answer.
Until the Blues can consistently get everything going, the team won’t really get off the ground. That’s not an indictment of Montgomery, Binnington, or anyone in particular. It’s just the reality of how the Blues’ season has gone thus far.
Disclaimer: Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.